Aftermath 3: The Accident
by TheSharing
Summary: The best intentions may have the worst of consequences...
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

My name is Aliana-Ellimin-Darrath.

A long name, by human standards. But I am not human.

To be honest, it is difficult to tell you _what _I am.

I had always thought of myself as an Andalite. My parents were Andalites. I was born and raised on the Andalite world. But then I started having dreams, visions... Visions of a being called the Ellimist.

I am his descendant. How, I am not quite sure. But I know it to be fact. I also know that I am an _anomaly_. Typically, Andalites are not resistant to physical pain. But Dracon fire does not burn me. And, as Rachel knows, knives cannot penetrate my skin.

This strength has proven quite useful, especially in recent days. I am... _was _a morph dancer. An _estreen_, as some would say. But lately, I have considered myself to be a soldier. Or, more importantly, an Animorph.

Animorphs. That is what we call our team. Originally, the group consisted of five teenagers and one Andalite, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. But over time, those teenagers grew to strong adults. Now, they lead Tom, Malbin, and me on a quest for justice, a quest for peace...

That is what I tell myself, anyway. To be honest, their methods are not very peaceful. Sometimes, I feel as though more damage is being done than prevented.

Still, I know we have a job to do. I know this not only because of my dreams, but because I can feel it in my hearts.

I can feel it when I look into Tom's eyes. Eyes filled with conflict.

Eyes of hope. Hope for a new order. A new understanding and unity.

And eyes of sadness. Sadness for this war. Sadness for his father.

Prince Jake, Tom's father, forfeited his safety to buy us time. In tiger morph, he distracted the Hork-Bajir as our ship, the _Rachel_, took flight. In an effort to rescue him, it was decided that two of us should take the shuttle craft back to Earth's surface. Without argument, I was selected as the first candidate.

I wish I could say they chose me for reasons _other _than my invulnerability. Sadly, that is not the case. I am strong. I am brave. But so are the others. Such traits do not make me stick out in this group.

My comrades drew straws, a bizarre human ritual for making drastic decisions.

Tom, my... my teammate, was chosen to accompany me.

He was pleased. He strongly wished to rescue his father. But he was afraid, as was I.

Together, we entered the shuttle craft and began our trek across the desert. Behind us, the _Rachel _climbed skyward, eventually disappearing.

((I hope they will be all right,)) I said.

Tom nodded. "They will be. It's us I'm not so sure about."

All four of my eyes scanned the arid ground beneath us.

((I see no signs of your father.))

"There! Paw prints!" He pointed to the crest of a sand dune and took us down, closer to the surface.

"The prints stop... They just end. No human tracks after that. Not even Hork-Bajir."

((Perhaps the tracks have been covered to prevent his location from being discovered.))

"Yeah... As much as it sucks, you're probably right.. But we should keep looking."

I nodded. ((Of course.))

To tell the truth, I was glad to find no signs of Hork-Bajir. Tom and I both carried Shredders, but our craft held no outside cannons. If we were to meet enemy fire before disembarking...

It was not a happy thought. I shook it off.

For hours, we combed the desert, careful not to fly within a fifty mile radius of the Yen Faar pool.

"Okay, I give up," Tom said, breaking the silence. "This is bogus. If he's out here, we would've found him by now. If he was captured, he's probably back at the pool. We need to go in there and bail him out. Now."

I shook my head. ((No, Tom. I know how much you care for your father. But entering the pool would be too great a risk. We must remain safe. It is what your father would want...))

"If he's still alive," Tom snapped. A few moments later, he turned his gaze on me. "I'm.. I'm sorry, Aliana. I'm just.. I'm really scared, ya know? My _dad _is out there somewhere. He could be dead. Or worse..."

((Yes. I understand...))

The sun was setting. An eerie gray began to creep over the dunes.

"Okay... I hate to say this, but it's getting close to nightfall. I say we find somewhere safe to park the craft. There should be enough food in the emergency compartments to last us a few days. By then, the others will have contacted us. If we play this right, we'll have enough fuel to get back and dock. I don't want them to have to land and pick us up."

((Pardon my pessimism, Tom, but is anywhere _really _safe? The Yeerks own this planet now...))

He sighed. "I know. Let's just get as far away from slug civilization as we can. Right now, we're about seventy miles east from the pool. I say we go back another hundred, maybe two hundred miles. I doubt there's another pool that close to the Yen Faar."

I nodded. ((Yes, you are probably correct. The Yen Faar is a large enough pool to sustain the Yeerks in this area. A secondary pool would be unnecessary. However, we should remain careful. A Taxxon hive may be nearby.))

"Great... I hadn't thought about that."

Tom jerked the controls and took us further east, away from the setting sun.

For miles and miles, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. The Andalite world has its share of open spaces. But they are beautiful spaces filled with trees and grasses and various living species. Earth, however, was a barren wasteland. The sand stretched endlessly in all directions. Occasionally, it was littered with ancient human transports called _cars_, but there was mostly no debris to speak of. The Yeerks had truly wiped out all signs of life.

The moon rose, casting an odd glow.

((Tom! Tom...))

He turned, a concerned look on his face.

"What is it, Aliana?"

((This is it! This is the place from my dreams!))

"How can you tell? It looks the same as everything else we've seen..."

((Please, Tom. Set us down.))

He nodded and gently landed the craft.

"Thirteen percent fuel left. Barely enough. We really should've planned this better..."

He opened the hatch. Together, we walked across the sand.

I extended an arm, stopping him in his path. ((Wait. It is here.))

"What are you talking about, Aliana? I don't see anything."

I let my arm down. Then, without realizing it, I held his hand in mine.

((This is it, Tom. What the Ellimist was trying to show me. It's here.))

"Aliana... Please... _What_ is here?"

I looked at him, smiling. ((The Time Matrix.))


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

"Did you say the _Time Matrix_?"

I blinked, realizing the truth. ((I... I do not know. The words came out before I had a chance to think about them.))

Tom's face grew dark, serious. "The Ellimist."

((Yes. The Ellimist.))

I walked ahead, feeling the sand beneath my hooves. I did not bother to absorb it. I knew it contained no healthy nutrients.

((In my dreams, I am here. In this very spot. And then, I close my eyes and say...))

Tom stepped closer. "And say what, Aliana? What are you supposed to say?"

I closed all four of my eyes, something we Andalites rarely do.

And then, I spoke the word. The word that had haunted my dreams.

((Aguella.))

Suddenly, the ground began to vibrate. I nearly fell over. Luckily, Tom supported me with his arms. Together, we hurried back towards the shuttle craft.

"What did you do?!" he yelled, fearful.

((Do not ask _me_! How should I know?))

"You're the one with the dreams," he panted, trying to catch his breath.

The sand was shaking, shifting, swirling together at the spot where I had stood.

Then, a strange, white sphere began to rise from the earth. It glistened in the moon's light.

"The Time Matrix?"

((Yes... Yes, I believe so.))

Cautiously, we began our approach.

"So.. What do we do now?"

((There is another person in my dreams... A person I have not mentioned to anyone else before.))

His eyes turned, focusing on mine. "Who? My dad?"

((No, Tom. You. In my dreams, you and I touch the sphere. And we go back.))

He seemed puzzled. "Back where?"

((Back in time... To an age _before_ the Yeerks had conquered Earth, before your world looked like... this.))

Tom shook his head. "This is nuts. Insane..."

I smiled. ((You sound like Marco.))

"Yeah... Yeah, I guess you're right." He laughed, stepping closer to me.

"All right, Aliana. I'll touch the sphere... If you say that's what I'm supposed to do, I'll trust you."

He followed me to the Time Matrix. It was rather large in size, at least ten feet across.

Suddenly, there was a reflection on the sphere... Lights!

We turned. Sitting atop the nearby dune was a Jeep. A Jeep carrying two Hork-Bajir.

"_Ghafrash_!" one of them yelled. "Get them!"

They hopped out of the vehicle and began to approach.

Tom quickly pressed his hand against the Time Matrix. I followed suit.

"Weird... It's.. It's _warm_."

I focused my stalk eyes on the oncoming Controllers. ((Tom, we must imagine this place as it was _before _the war. Before the destruction.))

He nodded. "I'll try..."

Seconds passed, and still no change. The Hork-Bajir raced towards our shuttle craft, blasting it with Dracon fire.

_Focus, Aliana. Focus._

I had to stop thinking about the Hork-Bajir. I needed to concentrate, focus on my history lessons, the Earth Studies class I had taken back home. Earth was once covered in trees...trees filled with green leaves that towered over green grasses. People drove about in _cars_ on paved roads. They were directed by traffic signals and listened to foul sounds they deemed _music_. All of these things rushed through my mind as I pictured Earth, imagined the past...

Suddenly, the world around me began to change. Things were no longer simply three dimensional. I saw _inside_ things, _around _things, _below _things. The universe was opened up to me, revealed, uncovered. Tom was no longer a young boy. He was a rotating set of organs and bones and tissues... So were the Hork-Bajir. So was I. The earth below split open, revealing a great chasm of heat and steam and rock... I saw the energy of the planet's core running below our feet. I saw the shifting of the clouds above and the secrets of the stars.

Then, a web enveloped me. The same web I had seen in my dreams. Threads of life, threads of time and space... I saw Tom as a baby. He was being held by his mother, Alicia. And I saw his father, smiling. Then, Prince Jake was much younger. A boy, like Tom. Without warning, the child became a tiger, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

Similarly, the Hork-Bajir grew young. Then, they were replaced by their parents, and their parents' parents, and their parents' parents' parents... It was as if the entire history of the universe was being shown to me, illustrated like a time line.

In an instant, however, the Hork-Bajir were gone. Tom and I were flying through the air, away from our craft, away from the desert... Pictures rushed by too quickly to see. Sounds swarmed around us, penetrating our ears and minds. We were moving.

We were traveling through time.

After what seemed like an eternity, Tom and I were standing alone in a strange environment. It appeared to be some sort of field, littered with half-finished buildings. Broken bottles lay at our feet. A rusted _crane_, a primitive machine once used for construction, sat a few yards away.

((Do you think we succeeded?))

"I... I don't know," Tom replied. "I mean... I guess this is what Earth could've looked like years ago.. But I don't know. Something doesn't _feel _right. I know your dreams told you about this... But something tells me we _aren't _meant to be here. I think this was a mistake."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

"Hey!" a voice shouted. "Hey, you kids! Get outta here! This is _my _place!"

((Who said that?)) I asked, letting my stalk eyes scan the area.

"I don't know..." said Tom.

Slowly, a figure emerged from the darkness. An old man. The clothing he wore was dirty and ragged. An odd stench flew on the breeze as he studied us, scratching his head. The other hand loosely held a bottle, most likely containing an alcoholic beverage of some sort...

"Wait a sec..." he said. "You ain't kids. At least the purple fella ain't. That some kinda horse, kid?"

"Thank God," Tom whispered. "He's a drunk. A hobo."

((A _what_?))

"A hobo. A homeless person. Him seeing us isn't that big a deal..."

((Ah. That is good. He referred to me as a _horse_. I assume the humans of this time are yet to be acquainted with Andalites.))

"Anda what?" the man asked. "You some kinda alien?"

Tom gave me a sideways look. "Try using _private_ thought-speak, okay?"

The man laughed. "No worries, kid. I know all sorts of aliens. See 'em around here all the time. My friend Eddie's got one in his head. Can't get the darned thing out."

Tom nodded and began stepping towards the man. "Riiiight. Listen, pal. We need to uh... Use you for a second."

I was puzzled. ((Tom, what are you doing?))

He turned, smiling at me. "You need to acquire him. You can't go walking around like that."

Tom was right. Our secrecy in this environment was vital. A human morph would be a prime advantage. And this was the perfect opportunity...

I trotted towards the man slowly, careful not to alarm him.

((Sir... May I touch your forehead?))

He smirked. "I ain't sick. But go ahead."

Gently, my hand pressed against his skin. As the acquiring process began, the old man fell into a brief trance. A moment later, it was finished.

"I feel...dizzy." The man looked down at his bottle. "I need to lay off the juice for awhile." He walked towards a crumbled wall.

"Wait!" called Tom. "Do you have any clothes we could...borrow? My friend here gets cold easy."

((I certainly do _not.._))

"Shhh!" Tom hissed, turning to me.

The old man smiled. "I don't usually give stuff out to folks. But you two seem nice." He nodded his head in the direction of a large pipe. "I keep some stuff in there. Help yourselves. Me? I'ma take a nap..."

Within seconds, the strange man was snoring.

((Quite a character,)) I said, smiling at Tom.

He laughed. "Yeah. Come on. You'll need clothes."

Together, we approached the pipe. It lay on the ground, surrounded by piles of scrap metal.

"They must've been building something here and just stopped," Tom decided. "This place gives me the creeps."

((Yes. I agree. I wish to leave as soon as possible.))

Tom got on his knees and looked into the pipe. Reaching an arm in, he withdrew a tattered pair of _jeans _and a faded _sweater_. Human clothing is quite ridiculous, but these items seemed particularly inappropriate..

"Alright. These'll work. Go ahead and morph. I'll turn around." Tom set the clothes on the ground and looked away.

I focused on the human. It would be my first time morphing one of Tom's kind. Something about it did not feel right, but we had no other choice. As he had pointed out, I could not venture into Earth's populated areas as an Andalite. That would possibly create panic and disorder, not to mention an error in the space-time continuum. Unless, of course, we were doing what we were _meant _to do. For all we knew, these events had, in fact, already taken place _before _our birth...

Time travel is a very confusing subject.

My stalk eyes retracted. Four of my fingers shriveled, disappeared. I could hear my bones crunching as my hind legs receded, leaving me to stand on only two _human_ legs. My fur was already changing color, becoming an odd shade of tan. Eventually, it disappeared altogether, replaced by the wrinkled, worn flesh of the old man. Gray, knotted hair sprouted from my scalp, falling in my eyes.

It was done. I was a human.

And I was naked.

"Alright," I said, trying out my new voice. "Right. Iiiiite. It is done. Unnn."

"Did you put the clothes on?" Tom asked.

"Oh..." I reached down to grab them. "Sorry. I forget that humans feel the need to be _dressed_...Why is that, anyway? Ayyy."

"I dunno. We just do. Why do you keep making those sounds?"

I blushed, pulling the pants up to my waist. If it had not been for my Human Studies class, I would not have known how to don the artificial skins. "I am sorry. This is my first time using mouth sounds. Ounnds. Mouth sounds." After a pause, I blushed again. "Sorry. I shall try to restrain myself..."

Tom chuckled. "Don't worry about it."

I pulled the sweater on over my head. "Finished."

He turned. "Wow. Good job. I thought you might need some help."

I smiled. "You were mistaken, Tom. I require no assistance."

I stepped forward. Or tried to, at least. I found myself lying face down.

"Aliana!" Tom shouted, pulling me up. "You've gotta watch yourself."

"Ah. Yes. Walking with two legs _is _tricky. I shall have to adjust."

It took some time, but we managed to cross the field together. During our travel, we encountered no other people, though we found evidence of human activity. Occasionally, we would stumble across a pile of ashes that had once been a campfire. Several bottles, similar to the one held by the old man, were strewn about, emptied of their contents.

"Were all humans so uncaring of their environment?"

"I don't think so," Tom said. "I mean, take a look at Cassie. I think she'd scream if she saw any of us."

Eventually, after walking through a collection of trees, we came to a large road. Tom called it a _highway_. Cars drove by us at impressive speeds. Impressive for vehicles with simple chemical engines, that is.

On the other side of the highway stood a tall man-made structure. I could clearly see a human name, _Sears_, on the side facing us.

"What is that, Tom? Some sort of military base?"

"Nu uh," he said. "I know what this is. It's a mall."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

"Why did the Andalite cross the road?"

I turned. "I do not know, Tom. Why?"

He smirked. "To get to the other side."

I looked down, puzzled. "Forgive my ignorance, Tom. But I do not understand."

"Forget it," he sighed. "It's a joke... Marco would've laughed."

I felt bad for Tom. I wanted to comfort him, make him feel at ease. And so, I did the best I could.

"Ha ha. Ha. Ha ha ha!!"

Tom looked at me, his eyes wide. "What...was _that_?"

"I was laughing, Tom. At your joke. Very humorous indeed."

"Uhm. Yeah. Don't do that again."

"Was that not the correct response?"

"No," he said. "That wasn't a laugh. You sounded like a demented robot or something..." Tom turned his head left and right, examining the road. "Come on. Let's go."

Together, we walked across the highway and passed through the _parking lot_.

"Here's the entrance. Just act normal. Or try to, at least."

He opened one of two double doors. And we walked inside the mall.

Instantly, my senses were bombarded. The sights! The sounds! The smells! It was twice as exciting as a visit to Ularna, the largest space port on my world. And this was only the _food court_, as Tom called it. We were yet to visit the various shops selling human goods.

We walked past a group of children, eating together at a circular table.

"I would like to try your human foods," I whispered. "I have never experienced the sense of _taste_ before..."

"Nu uh," he said. "No way. I've heard about what happens when you guys get near food. We'd get kicked outta here in ten seconds flat... Speaking of which, _why _are we here? Are we supposed to be looking for something?"

I saw an opportunity to use a human expression. The _shrug_. I must have used it correctly, because Tom replied with a sigh.

"Great. Just great. So we're just gonna wander around until we see what the Ellimist wants us to? That could take forever. We should be looking for my dad. We should be looking for..."

"Jake?" a voice called.

We spun around. A young boy approached us, about Tom's age. He had blonde hair and strangely familiar brown eyes.

"Jake? What's up, man? I was hoping I'd find you here."

Tom's mouth opened wide. At first, I did not understand why. But then it "hit me," as humans say...

This boy was familiar for a reason. We knew him. He was Tobias.

"Tobias?" I whispered.

His eyes looked up at me. "Uh, yeah. You Jake's dad?"

"Um. You must have the wrong guy," Tom stammered. "My name's... Bill. Yeah. Sorry, man."

"Wow..." Tobias said. "Gosh, I feel like a total idiot. Sorry.. You really do look just like this guy I know, except your hair is lighter now that I think about it. Sorry, dude..."

"No problem," Tom said.

Tobias turned and walked away. We decided to do the same.

"Wait a second!" Tobias exclaimed. "You knew my name!"

Tom cursed. "We're screwed," he whispered to me. "Tobias is _not _supposed to know about us. We've gotta get out of here."

I nodded. "I am sorry, Tom."

"Hey, how did you know my name?" Tobias was standing right behind us. Had he heard our conversation? I thought about running, avoiding any confrontation... But I wasn't too experienced with using human legs yet. Running would be very difficult. And Tom would not leave me behind. We turned and faced the young Tobias...

Tom lowered his voice. His eyes scanned the area, making sure no one was within hearing range. "So, you know Jake?"

"Yeah," Tobias said. "Are you related to him?"

"Yeah, you could say that. Are you guys friends?"

Tobias shrugged. "I guess so. I mean, he's nice and all. He kinda...helped me out awhile back. But we haven't really talked much or anything."

Tom looked at me. I could tell he was formulating an idea. A dangerous one...

"Do you know where he lives?"

Tobias thought for a second. "Not exactly. I've seen him cut through this construction site a few times. I think he lives in the neighborhood on the other side. Need me to show you there?"

Tom's eyes lit up. There was an excitement in them I had never witnessed before.

"Yeah. Yeah, take me there."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

"So, where'd you get that suit?"

"Huh?" Tom asked. We were walking through the trees, approaching the abandoned construction site.

"That suit," Tobias continued. "It's cool. Looks like something out of a comic book or something."

Tom smirked. "That's what Marco says."

"You know Marco, too?"

Tom cursed under his breath. He had not meant to reveal so much about us.

"Almost there," Tobias said. "It's kinda creepy. But it's a great shortcut. The other way takes forever."

"Yeah, okay..."

As we came over the hill, we saw something. A blue light.

"Quick! Hide!" Tom ordered.

"Why?" asked Tobias.

"Just do it!"

The three of us crouched behind a crumbled wall, careful to make as little noise as possible.

Slowly, we raised our heads, attempting to find the light source.

Human eyes are terrible at seeing in the darkness. But I found what I was looking for. And I'll never forget it.

The light was coming from... a Tail-fighter.

Yes, a Tail-fighter. On Earth.

"What is that?" Tobias gasped.

Tom raised a finger to his lips. "Shhh! Be quiet."

Suddenly, there was a new light. I recognized it as well.

It was the light of an _Escafil _device.

Straining my eyes, I was able to see four young humans. They were pressing their hands against the "morphing cube." And there was a fifth hand. The hand of an Andalite. The hand of Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul. A war-prince. A hero.

He lay on the ground, weak and injured.

"Elfangor gave your father the morphing power?" I gasped. "I never knew..."

"Neither did I," Tom admitted.

"Wait... _What_?" Tobias whispered. "What are you guys talking about? What's going on here?" There was a pause. "Hey, is that _Jake_? I think I see Rachel, too..."

"We'll explain everything later, Tobias. For now, just hold tight. Don't make a move."

Our friend was frustrated, but he understood. As always, he could be trusted.

Suddenly, more lights appeared in the sky. And they were coming closer.

"Tom.. I think those are Bug fighters."

He nodded. "There's something else up there, too. Something bigger."

I gasped, realizing the truth. "The Blade Ship."

The children, the young Animorphs, must have seen the oncoming danger. As they ran, Elfangor used his tail blade to dislodge a mound of soil. There, he placed the _Escafil _device before covering it over with dirt. Seconds later, a red spotlight illuminated his tired body. The Animorphs were already hiding behind a crumbled wall similar to ours.

"They are safe for now," I said.

"Let's hope so. If the Yeerks find them, I'll be dead before I was even born."

The Bug fighters landed on either side of Elfangor's Tail-fighter. Meanwhile, the Blade Ship settled nearby, incinerating an _earthmover_ in its path.

"Woah," Tobias whispered. "That's serious..."

Slowly, the Blade Ship's door opened. Several Hork-Bajir leaped out, slashing the air. They were followed by a vicious mob of Taxxons, no doubt hungry for flesh. Together, they formed a circle around Elfangor and his craft. One Hork-Bajir approached the Animorphs' hiding spot, Dracon beam leveled...

"We have to do something!" Tobias said, a little too loudly. "We can't let them get killed!"

"There's nothing we can do," assured Tom. "If we jump out there like morons, we'll get fried. Trust me."

"What _are _those things?"

"The Salad Shooters are Hork-Bajir. And the centipedes from Hell are Taxxons."

"...Okay. And what is _that_?"

An Andalite exited the Blade Ship, approaching Elfangor. His thought-speak "voice" rang out for all to hear.

((Well, well,)) he said. ((What have we here? A meddling Andalite?))

"That sounds like Visser One."

I nodded. "You are correct, Tom. That is the Abomination himself."

We listened in fear as Visser One taunted Elfangor. It was plain to see that the hero's end was near. Bravely, he stood, wishing to die in honor...

And that is when the visser said something very _dis_honorable...

((I will personally hunt down your family. And I will personally oversee the placement of my most faithful lieutenants in their heads. I hope that they will resist, so I can hear their minds scream.))

With that, Elfangor struck. Barely, the visser managed to move his head, dodging what would have been a fatal blow. Instead, the tail blade struck his shoulder. Blood sprayed from the gash, falling onto the earth below.

Tobias clenched a fist. "Yes!"

((Aaaaaarrrrrgh!)) Visser One bellowed.

Just as quickly, a blue beam lanced from the tail of Elfangor's ship. The visser's minions scattered as a nearby Bug fighter sizzled into nothingness.

((Fire!)) the Abomination commanded. ((Burn his ship!))

Heat blasted my face as the remaining Bug fighter fired at the Andalite craft. The Blade Ship joined in, pummeling the Tail-fighter until there was no evidence of its presence...

Visser One's eyes smiled.

((Take the Andalite. Hold him for me.))

Three Hork-Bajir grabbed Elfangor, placing their wrist blades at his throat.

Meanwhile, the visser began to morph. Before he was halfway finished, I knew the form he was taking...

He was becoming an Antarean Bogg. A dreadful creature...

When he was finished, the monster's growl shook the earth beneath my feet.

"R-r-r-r-r-r-a-a-a-a-g-g-g!"

We tried to protect our ears from the sound, but it was no use.

We were helpless, just like Elfangor... Nothing could protect him from the disgusting tentacle that reached down to grab him...

"No..." Tobias whispered. "No... He can't die.. He _can't_."

Tom lightly grabbed his shoulder. "No, Tobias. He's _supposed_ to die. As sad as it is, this is how it was meant to be... We can't interfere."

Visser One lifted the brave Andalite, who struck again and again with his tail.

But it was no good. The visser opened his mouth and... And ate Prince Elfangor.

Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul was dead.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

I shall never forget Elfangor's cry. His plea of despair...

Just as I shall never forget the greedy Taxxons who rushed to feast on his remains.

Tobias turned, covering his face. This was all too dreadful to bear, too painful to witness...

Even Tom, who always seemed so strong in my mind, was crying.

I was crying, too. I hadn't realized it, but I was. My lips caught the salty taste of tears.

_Taste? So this is what it's like... Such an awful first impression..._

Suddenly, there was a new sound. Laughter. Human laughter.

"Human-Controllers?" Tom gasped. "Already?"

"This is not good..." I agreed. "But I suppose these are the same odds your father went up against..."

The visser returned to his Andalite form, the stolen body of Alloran-Semitur-Corrass.

((Ah. Nothing like a good Antarean Bogg morph for...taking a bite out of your enemies.))

His minions laughed, pleased at their victory...

But the glory didn't last long. The laughing stopped. They had heard something...

A Hork-Bajir turned towards the Animorphs. In an instant, they were up and running.

"_Ghafrash_!" the Hork-Bajir shouted. The chase was on...

"Get them! Get them, you fools!" a human ordered.

((Chapman,)) the visser sneered. ((Our secrecy has been compromised. Find those spies... and bring their heads to _me_.))

"Chapman?" Tobias whispered.

The human stammered. "Yyy...Yes, Visser Three."

"Visser _Three_?" Tom asked.

"I suppose he has not been promoted yet..."

The visser hurried into his Blade Ship. The Taxxons filed into their Bug fighter. In moments, they were back in the sky, soaring towards the stars...

"The cube!" Tom gasped. "We have to get it." He looked around. "Do you see anyone, Aliana?"

"No, Tom. I do not."

"Neither do I. I'm going after it."

"No, Tom! You could be captured." I grabbed his arm.

"Don't worry," he said. "Dad's bought us some time. Besides, I'm going in morph..."

Minutes later, Tom was replaced by a small, fuzzy Yugosin.

"Jabbaaaa!" he said.

"Tom... Tom, do you have control?"

The beady, black eyes blinked at me.

"Jabbaaaa!" he cried again.

"Tom! Get control!" I shouted.

Tobias just sat there. His face had turned white.

((Woah, woah. Sorry, Aliana. I've got it now,)) Tom finally answered.

He revealed a set of sharp, shovel-like claws and began to dig. Then, he squeezed his small, round body into the fresh hole.

"This is a dream," Tobias decided. "A really messed up dream."

I smiled at him. "I wish you were right."

Shortly, the _Escafil _device appeared, shoving its way through the hole. It popped out and landed with a _thud_. Once Tom was free, he demorphed and shook the dirt from his hair.

"We've got it. Let's go."

"Wait," I said. "I can break it down. But I'll have to demorph."

Tom looked at Tobias, then back at me. "Do it."

I concentrated on my body. My fur. My stalk eyes. My hands. My hooves. My tail...

I opened my eyes. Both Tobias _and _Tom seemed stunned.

((What? What is it?))

"That was fast. Really fast," Tom answered.

I smiled. ((I did not earn second place for nothing, Tom.))

He smiled. "I wish I could've been there to see you dance..."

((I know...))

I picked up the _Escafil _device and ran a finger along its _shaen _edge. The writing began to glow faintly. Tom looked around, nervous that it might draw attention. I pressed my hands against either side of the cube and it compressed, flattened into a smooth square.

((There. I performed the _handau_. This allows the _Escafil_ device to be easily transported, though it is much more fragile in this state. I suggest you keep it in your _zet's _chest pocket...and _be careful_.)) I said the last part with an emphasis, gazing into Tom's eyes.

He nodded, smiling back at me.

After making a cautious sweep of the area, Tobias stood. "I know you guys are having a moment here, but I think we need to get going."

I nodded. ((Tobias is correct.))

"All right," Tom said. "Where to?"

Tobias thought for a moment. "My uncle's place. He's asleep _all _the time. He wouldn't even notice you guys."

Tom stood beside Tobias, revealing a Shredder.

"All right. Lead the way."


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Once I took human form, we made our way to Tobias's home. Oddly, his neighborhood was not much different from the construction site. Broken liquor bottles lined the road. Many of the buildings appeared to be falling apart, coming in on themselves. One even seemed as though it had been recently set ablaze. These characteristics, combined with the barred windows, made it a very depressing neighborhood, indeed...

Knowing that Tobias called this place "home" brought me great sadness. The Tobias I knew was a gentle, caring soul. He did not deserve to live in such a harsh environment...

We stepped onto the porch.

"You guys wait here," Tobias said. "I'm gonna check things out."

He creaked open the screen door and carefully walked into the house.

"Where the hell you been, boy?"

"I'm.. I'm sorry Uncle Ray. I was just.."

"Don't back talk me. Now get up in your room." There was a pause. "NOW!"

I heard the pounding of footsteps as Tobias raced upstairs.

Tom and I creeped around the side of the house, careful not to be seen.

((What should we do?)) I asked.

"Let me think," he whispered. I noticed him looking at the ground, searching for something.

((What is it?))

He bent down and picked up a strange creature. An insect.

"Okay... These things are nasty. But we don't have much of a choice... I think they're called _cockroaches_."

((Ah. That is not a pretty name.))

He smiled. "These aren't pretty bugs."

He focused on the insect, acquiring its DNA. Then, he passed it to me.

"Your turn, Aliana."

I nodded, taking the foul thing into my hands.

Morphing the cockroach felt odd. And...for lack of a better word..._gross_.

But it would do the job.

It took awhile to "get the hang of it," but we managed to crawl beneath Tobias's windowsill.

((Tobias!)) Tom shouted. ((We're outside. Cockroach morph.))

Tobias slid open the window and looked down.

"That is seriously gross," he whispered.

((Yes. I agree,)) I said.

"I never thought I'd say this to a couple of roaches, but... Come on in."

Tom and I fluttered inside the room and demorphed.

"I was getting worried about you guys," Tobias whispered. "Sorry about my uncle..."

"No problem, Tobias."

"So... _Now _can you tell me what's going on?"

Quietly, Tom told our story. Told him about the Yeerks, the Animorphs, the Time Matrix. Not every detail, but most. Part of me was unsure as to whether this was the right course of action... But after everything the young boy had witnessed, he deserved to know the truth.

"I can't believe it," he gasped, finally. "We have to do something... We can't let this happen to Earth."

"It already has," Tom sighed.

Tobias stood, a determined look on his face. "No. It happened in _your _future. We can change things. We can make them right. Because of you guys, we can warn Jake and the others about _everything_. It'll give the Animorphs a new edge, a new advantage."

I smiled. ((Tobias does have a point...))

Tom stood there, considering.

Suddenly, there was a slam on the door.

"Boy! Open up!" his uncle said.

"Coming!" Tobias yelped.

I began to morph, but it was too late. Tobias's uncle kicked the door open and saw _me._ An Andalite.

I expected him to run. Scream, even. But neither was the case...

"Andalite!" he hissed. "Filthy, stinkin' Andalite scum!"

He reached behind and revealed a Dracon beam, leveling it at us.

"What are you doing?" Tobias yelped.

"I should've known you were with _them_. You always were a strange kid."

I stepped forward, tail ready.

((Tom, get Tobias out of here!))

Tom grabbed Tobias's arm, pulling him towards the window.

"You want a fight, girl? You've got one."

I was not afraid. I knew the Dracon's blast could not harm me. But even if it could, I was willing to take the blow. I was willing to do anything if it meant saving Tobias...

The Controller pulled the trigger.

I closed my eyes...


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

"Tobias, no!"

_What? Tobias?_

His body lay at my feet. A wisp of smoke rose from his chest...

Apparently, the Controller was equally shocked. The man stood, mouth agape. I saw my opportunity and took it.

A female's tail blade _is _smaller than a male's. But when it is traveling thirty miles an hour towards an enemy's throat... It creates evident damage.

Tobias's uncle slumped to the floor, grabbing his neck. It would do him no good.

Tom was crouching over Tobias, shaking him lightly by the shoulders.

"Tobias! Tobias, wake up! We've gotta get you out of here!"

His eyelids flickered. For awhile, he came back to us...

"Tom? That's your name, right?"

Tom smirked. "Yeah... Yeah, man. I'm sorry for lying to you."

Tobias nodded. "It's okay, dude. Just tell me something... What's your _last _name?"

I smiled as Tom looked at me, then back at our fallen friend.

"I'm... I'm Tom Berenson. Jake's son."

Tobias grinned. "I knew it... You look just like him." He grabbed his stomach and clenched his eyes shut, trying to overcome the pain. "Jake must've named you after his brother..."

Evidently, Tom had not known this information. His eyes blinked, staring off into space. It was Tobias who brought him back.

"Were we friends? You and me, I mean... In the future..."

Tom's voice cracked as he answered yes... Yes, they were friends...

"Good," Tobias said. "Let's stay that way."

And then, it was over.

Our friend, Tobias, was dead.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

"What are we gonna do?" Tom asked as we hurried along the street. I was in human morph, still wearing the sweater and tattered jeans... We _estreens_ have no difficulty with clothing.

"I... I do not know," I replied. "I suggest we find a secluded area. And fast."

"Maybe we should go to Jake's. Tell them everything. Give them an advantage, like Tobias said."

"No," I answered swiftly, shaking my head. "No, no, no. That would not be right."

"What else are we supposed to do?" he demanded. There was a frantic tone to his question.

"We... We should not have come here. We have altered time...in a very negative way."

"First off, _you_ decided we should use that matrix thing. And secondly, maybe this isn't a screw up. Seeing Tobias die..." He paused. "Seeing Tobias die was awful. That's the last thing on Earth I'd wish for. But maybe.. Maybe, in a weird way, it was _supposed_ to happen. Why else would the Ellimist send us here?"

"I do not know!" I shouted. "Why must I have all the answers? I did not ask the Ellimist to visit me! He just does! I... I hate this!" I ran ahead of him, crying.

"Aliana!" he shouted. "Aliana! Come back!"

I kept running. Running and running and running as if I would never stop...

But I did stop. In front of the mall. And then I did something foolish.

"Aliana!" Tom hissed. "Don't go back in there! There might be Controllers!"

"I do not care!" I cried over my shoulder. "I am getting out of here! This is _not_ right! This is _not_ how things were meant to be!"

I crossed the highway. Drivers angrily honked their horns as I stammered into the woods, beginning the upward climb...towards the construction site...

Behind me, I heard the rustling of limbs as Tom followed.

I increased my speed, making my way over the hill. I darted my head left and right. No sign of anyone. At least not that I could tell...

Galloping in mid-morph, I shouted at the top of my lungs...

"Aguella! AGUELLA!!!"

The Time Matrix rose, straight out of the earth. Just as before, it shimmered in the beautiful light of the moon...

Fully Andalite, I slammed my hand against the sphere's surface.

I heard the echo of Tom's running footsteps. Their sound bounced off the fallen walls, climbed up the rusted pipes...

"Aliana! What are you doing?"

Suddenly, Dracon fire exploded beneath his feet. He soared, landing with a _thud _beside me.

"Andalites! Get them!" a voice shouted from behind.

From the ground, Tom's hand reached up to touch the sphere.

"Where should we go?" he demanded.

((Um.. Um... Here!))

"But we're already here! And we're about to get killed!"

Another Dracon blast singed the ground.

((No, Tom! Think of this place just as you did in the desert. The _exact_ same way...))

"But what about..."

((Just DO IT!)) I shouted.

I never knew such anger dwelled inside me...

Again, everything froze. Again, I saw within myself, my friend, my oncoming foes...

The situation strongly mirrored our earlier experience with the Hork-Bajir... Sadly, after everything we had gone through, we were nowhere closer to achieving anything positive...

Not yet, anyway. I had a plan...

Together, Tom and I flew away from the Controllers. Away from the construction site. Away from the _world._ We were enveloped in a cloud of blackness, frozen somewhere deep in space...

It was then that a voice called out to me. A voice strong, gentle...familiar...

**Hello, Aliana.**

((Hello.))

**Do not be afraid. You are on the right path.**

((Thank you...))

**No, Aliana. I thank **_**you**_**. You have proven something to me... And to my rival. This war, no matter how important to you, could never overcome your appreciation of friends. You could have given the Animorphs everything they needed to crush the Yeerks, but you didn't... Instead, you have chosen to spare Tobias. And, in a sad turn of events, doom Earth to obliteration... But it can be saved, Aliana. And so can Tom.**

((Tom?))

**Goodbye, my child. I shall see you soon.** **My freedom is near... My game is finished.**

((Game? What game?))

Suddenly, Tom and I were alone, standing in the construction site.

He looked around, checking for Controllers.

"I'm.. I'm confused. If we're right back where we started, why aren't we seeing ourselves?"

I looked at him, puzzled. ((I do not understand...))

"You know, our old selves, from when we first came here."

I thought for a moment. ((The matrix is more than a simple time machine... Actually, I believe it is something else entirely. Because we used our original imagination of this place, I suppose we returned to just _that_, the identical environment. Had we imagined ourselves already _in _this environment, it is likely we would have, indeed, come face to face with our past selves...))

Tom stared at me, blinking. "Aliana?"

((Yes, Tom?))

"I didn't understand a word you just said. But I'm gonna say okay. Okay?"

((Okay.))


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

"Hey!" a voice shouted. "Hey, you kids! Get outta here! This is _my_ place!"

"Oh, brother..." Tom turned. Smirking, he said, "Okay, Aliana. Do your thing."

((What thing?))

"You should still have his DNA, right?"

((I... I suppose so.))

"Morph him."

I nodded and began the transformation. When it was done, the old man simply smiled, taking a look at his bottle.

"I need to lay off the juice for awhile." Again, he turned and hobbled towards the crumbled wall.

Tom chuckled to himself. "All right. So what's your plan? Why did we need to come back here?"

"Well... Everything we did here was wrong. We only made things worse."

"Yeah, so?"

"Except for one thing," I added. "You retrieved Elfangor's _escafil _device. You prevented it from falling into Yeerk hands."

Tom's eyes lit up. "Wait.. So we _were _meant to do all this?"

I nodded. "Yes. Without us, the Yeerks will have the morphing power too soon, before your father learns to fight..."

"But I don't understand. I already have the cube. Right here." He patted his chest.

I smiled. "Tom... Don't you see? That is only the cube from _one _version of the past. We must retrieve it in this one for it to remain absolute. Elfangor is yet to land in this reality. And the Yeerks are yet to... to..."

Tom's face grew serious. "Yeah. Yeah, I know... I remember... I'll always remember."

"So you understand?"

"Yeah... I know what we have to do. We have to get that cube again and take it back with us."

I touched his shoulder. "Exactly... Except for one minor detail..."

He sighed. "What is it now? This time travel thing is making my head hurt..."

I took this opportunity to use another human expression. The _smirk_.

"I do not know why, but... We are not meant to return the cube to our time. It must be left here..."

"Left here? Why? So someone can find it one day?"

"Perhaps..."

"This is bogus!" he exploded. "This Ellimist dude needs to stop playing games with our heads... I want to know what's going on."

"We will. As soon as we return home."

I demorphed and looked into his eyes.

"All right, Aliana." He said, smiling. "Even after all we've been through... I'll trust you."


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

In the woods, we waited.

Again, we saw the young Animorphs meet Elfangor. Only this time, they were accompanied by another boy. Tobias.

Again, we saw Elfangor bury the _escafil _device.

And again, we saw the brave prince meet his end.

Seeing it once was difficult enough. Seeing it twice was terrible beyond words...

Once the area was secure, Tom morphed the Yugosin and retrieved the cube. Through a series of underground tunnels, he returned to our spot in the woods and demorphed.

"What should I do with this?" he asked, removing the compressed cube from this pocket.

((Break it,)) I said.

He flung the square against the forest floor. It shattered into thousands of pieces, becoming a fine collection of dust.

"Okay... Now what about this one?" He held up the new cube, in standard form.

As tiring as it was to morph again, I took the shape of the old man.

"Give it to me," I whispered. I'll know where to put it..."

"If you say so." Tom delicately set the cube in my hands and nodded. "Good luck."

"Thank you."

I stuck my head out from the trees, making sure no Controllers were lurking nearby.

Carefully, I hurried over to one of the eerie, half-finished buildings. Creeping inside, I realized there was a small hole in one of the cement blocks. Holding the cube in front of it, I concluded that the opening was perfect...

When I say perfect, I mean _perfect_. And I could guess why.

The Ellimist...

It was a snug fit, but the _escafil _device slid right inside. It had found its home...

I snuck back into the field.

"Aguella," I whispered.

Slowly, the Time Matrix appeared again.

Tom cautiously exited the woods, approaching me.

"Okay, so where do we go? If we go back to the desert, we're toast."

I smiled. "Not necessarily..."


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

"_Ghafrash_!" one of them yelled. "Get them!"

They hopped out of the vehicle and began to approach.

Tom quickly pressed his hand against the Time Matrix. I followed suit.

"Weird... It's.. It's _warm_."

I focused my stalk eyes on the oncoming Controllers. ((Tom, we must imagine this place as it was _before_ the war. Before the destruction.))

He nodded. "I'll try..."

Seconds passed, and still no change. The Hork-Bajir raced towards our shuttle craft, blasting it with Dracon fire.

_Focus, Aliana. Focus._

It was done. We disappeared, hurtling through time.

"Where they go?" one of the Hork-Bajir asked.

"Me not know! Visser will be angry..."

A Shredder blast sizzled one of them into nothingness. The other Controller turned his head, crying in rage.

Again, Tom fired. The enemy fell, gasping for air.

Using the Time Matrix, we had landed on the sand dune behind them. A surprise attack from two kids they had just seen disappear...

((Nice aim,)) I commented, having returned to my Andalite form.

"Thank you, Aliana. Better yet, thank Peltour."

((The grump?))

Tom laughed. "Yep. That's him."

We climbed down towards our shuttle craft... or what was left of it.

The communicator inside was "busted." The one on Tom's wrist was no good, either...

After finding food in the ship's compartments, we decided to spend the night there. Hopefully, the others would find us by morning. If not, we would take the Hork-Bajir's Jeep to civilization and... _borrow _a communicator.

((This Illsipar root is wonderful,)) I noted.

"Glad you're enjoying yourself," Tom muttered. He was lying on the sand, beside our craft. "These chips are extremely stale..."

I turned my eyes to the stars, admiring their beauty.

"You like the stars a lot, huh?"

((Yes, Tom. Do you not enjoy them?))

He sat up, scratching his head. "I don't know... They're pretty. But... I feel sad whenever I look at them."

I turned and nodded. ((I know what you mean.))

The next morning, we woke to a loud noise...

It wasn't the _Rachel_, but it was the sound of an engine. A Jeep.

Standing, we saw it climb its way over the dunes. Driving was the largest Hork-Bajir I had ever seen.

He was easily ten feet tall, very muscular. Sharp, jagged horns protruded from his scaly head... Two beady, red eyes glared at us from the distance.

Tom raised his Shredder, preparing to fire.

As time passed, the monster drew nearer. And my fear grew larger...

((Tom! Shoot! What is it you are waiting for?))

"I... I don't know. It's just..."

The Jeep came to a halt. The Hork-Bajir stepped down.

And began to morph.

"Dad?!" Tom ran towards his father. "Dad! You're all right!"

Prince Jake laughed, taking his son into his arms. "Of course I'm all right," he said. "Don't tell me you came looking for _me._"

"Well, yeah. I couldn't leave you behind..."

He smiled. "Where are the others?"

"Um... Actually, they went back home. We kinda... went looking for you ourselves."

"You WHAT?!"

I had never seen Prince Jake so distressed... and I never would again...

He opened the communicator plate on his _zet's _sleeve.

"What are you doing?" Tom asked.

"I'm calling them. We have a _lot _to talk about..."

A few moments later, a voice came over the Z-Waves...

"Hello?"

"Marco? This is Jake. What in the world is my son doing here?"

"Well, we drew straws, and..."

"You _drew straws_? For my son's life?"

"Hey, the little guy's okay... Isn't he?"

Prince Jake sighed. "Yes... No thanks to you."

"You should give the little man some respect," Marco laughed. "He can handle himself all right. Is Aliana fine, too?"

"Yeah, she's okay. We need you guys to pick us up. And quick. It won't be long until they find us."

"All right. We had a bit of an incident over here, but everything's cool now."

"What kind of incident?" Prince Jake asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well... Tobias disappeared."

Tom and I exchanged glances.

"What?" his father asked. "What do you mean he disappeared?"

"Just that, my man. He disappeared into thin air. He popped back up an instant later, but it scared the crap out of us. Got any theories?"

Prince Jake's eyes studied us, then examined the Time Matrix. "I've got one. You coming already, or what?"

"Yeah, yeah. Hold your horses. We'll be there as soon as I beat this level..."

"... What?"

"I'm _almost _done with Galactic Warrior 3, man. You'll just have to wait..."

Prince Jake laughed, closing his communicator.

"He'll be here," he said. "And when he is, I'm gonna kill him."

He hugged his son and smiled.

And I smiled too.


End file.
